October 9: Pitchers’ duel
turns into offensive explosions as bullpens get involved.
It was destined to be another close,
low-scoring game, just like the first contested in this 2014 BARB World Series.
Instead, when Target Field fans left the ballpark they couldn’t stop talking
about the sudden bullpen collapses on both sides.
Chris Sale and Chris Tillman matched
each other nearly pitch-for-pitch through seven scoreless innings. Until the
bottom of the seventh, a total of two runners reached second base. Both were
Casselton Horned Toads. Both happened with two out. Neither scored. Yuma’s best
chance came on Buster Posey’s long third-inning drive that Carlos Gomez
snatched from the stands for a spectacular Web Gem.
The host Toads nearly pushed across some
runs with the help of Ryan Braun’s stone mitt in the bottom of the seventh, but
Wellington Castillo swung through a Sale changeup to strand runners on second
and third.
Casselton finally gave their fans
something to cheer about in the eighth. Neil Walker led off with a single, and
two batters later he trotted home in front of Gomez, whose two-run blast to
left all of a sudden had Craig Stammen preparing for a save situation. The
righty had a little more room to work with when Justin Upton hit a solo shot to
right to end Sale’s night.
Stammen had come on for Tillman after
the latter came up stiff following a seventh-inning rain delay, and he quickly
erased Ben Zobrist to lead off the top of the ninth. Denard Span drew a walk as
a pinch-hitter and advanced to second on Andrew McCutchen’s groundout. Yuma
brass was just about ready to pack it in and concede a series tie heading home
when Chase Utley was sent in to bat for Casey McGehee. The veteran second
baseman was one strike away from the end of the ballgame, but he stayed in and
drilled a hanging curveball to the right-center field gap for three bases as
Span raced around to score.
Buoyed by the clutch hit, the Firebirds
following Utley put compact, efficient swings on the ball. Ryan Zimmerman
dumped a single into center to pull Yuma within one and bring in lefty Tom
Milone, who walked Braun on four pitches. He threw a first-pitch strike to
Mookie Betts, but the rookie was expecting the fastball and split the outfielders!
Zimmerman rounded third and scored. Braun, with the majority of the crowd
gasping and clutching their heads in their hands, used his still-reliable speed
to beat the relay and score all the way from first for a 4-3 Yuma lead!
The Firebirds, sticking with their
bullpen-by-committee approach, sent Gerrit Cole back out for the last half of
the ninth (after he finished the eighth for Sale). After two quick outs the
home squad was almost resigned to having to play from behind in the opponent’s
ballpark, but again a pinch-hitter got something started. Scooter Gennett was
sent up for Jean Segura, and his dribbler by the mound was slow enough to allow
him to reach. Milone, fearing Gomez’s hot bat, pitched around him and ended up
giving the free pass.
That’s when Adrian Beltre stepped up for
the fifth time that night. Milone got ahead in the count, 1-2. Beltre swung at
the next pitch and drove it down the left-field line. Braun chased into the
corner, glove outstretched…and couldn’t catch it! Gennett scored easily from
second! Tie game! And Gomez was waved around! Braun to Andrelton
Simmons…Simmons to Posey…
NOT IN TIME! GOMEZ SCORES THE WINNING
RUN!
FINAL: CASSELTON 5, YUMA 4
An instant classic that had the home
fans roaring! Already the series was shaping up as one of BARB’s best-ever!
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